Tao of the Elemental Rings – Emperor’s New Groove

While I was always in favour of enlightenment decks, I played heavily in zen decks during mid to end of CE. Changing Path was a key MVP then.

In Emperor edition however, the rules have changed. Enlightenment victory is achieved at the start of your turn, similar to honor, meaning opponent have one turn to smack you down before you decide to win.

This hurts a lot for enlightenment since now you have to actually play stuff to drop a ring, you have to wait one turn. That hurts. However, some of the rings have changed making that condition somewhat less painful to pull off.

Lets examine the rings now.

Ring of Air

Similar to previous rings, you need to pull 3 different kihos/spell in combination during one turn, simple enough if you have a monk / shugenja and the cards to play it. In current military, its a bit hard if you dont have any shugenja / monk, but to pull it off, you can play with open action kiho/spells to ensure that you can drop ring of air.

Still staple in some military decks even if they can’t put it into play mainly due to the straighten unit ability in battle/open.

Ring of the Void

Still the same, pull off 4 strategy card, then can be the same, but must in one phase. Easy to pull off. But this time around, they included one card that makes playing ring interesting. Introspection. It is a reaction, when you play a ring, you can trigger introspection to look for a card.

Best way to pull this off is to drop ring of water, (easiest) and play three introspection, trigger the first intro to look for a second and 2nd to look for 3rd, and third to look for ring of void. When you have void, you can immediately put into play. (I presume playing four battle action to drop ring of water should include one strategy card at least. If not, just play one more action to drop void).

Of course, if you are a military deck, chances are you can pull it off hardcast, by playing combination of battle action and reaction. (such as Know no Fear, Sundering Strike and the like)

Ring of Water

By far among the easiest, but can be a tad bit difficult only in the early turns since pulling 4 battle action while you have 1-2 unit usually doesn’t’ happen, since the opponent will try to remove your battle presence within the next 3 action.

It’s easiest since it counts battle actions from cards, meaning Stronghold, personality, holding, item, follower, spell and strategy cards. Just play battle actions with combinations within these as long as different card title. Easy.

Ring of Fire

What used to be the hardest mofo ring to play in CE and before that, this ring can only trigger from dueling.

Now, just win the battle and destroy province or opponents cards. Yes, it was CE Ring of Earth. So just go in, smack a province or take down enemy cards in resolution and voila! Ring of Fire. As long as you have the punch power, you can take province or army and ring of Fire is yours.

Ring of Earth

Modified. What used to be Ring of Earth is now Ring of Fire. So the new condition for Ring of Earth is to win a battle, none of your personality died, has been opposed in the current battle at any point during the battle.

Sounds hard? Not quite. For one, you just have to win, so you can assign a few dude, send home the opponent and if he see that you can’t take province, he will pass. You win battle, drop ring of earth.

Combo with naval is not bad either, ambush his dude, send it back. You win battle, opposed at one point, didn’t die and win battle. Drop ring of earth.

There you go. The elemental rings are now easier to play in straight forward military deck. Although you have to mix it up a bit to bring into play. Most rings are also playable for their ability if you can’t put them into play anyway.